Porated



Nov. ,2 1926. 1,605,880

J. H. WALSH PROCESS OF ACIDULATING AND GARBONIZING FABRIC WEBS OriginalFiled April 7, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 2,1926. 1,605,880

J. H. WALSH PROCESS OF ACIDULATING AND CARBONIZING FABRIC WEBS OriginalFiled April 7. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. H. WALSH PROCESS OF ACIDULAIINGAND CARBONIZING FABRIC WEBS Original il April 7. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet sfierzior:

Jsepki'f 74 622571,

Nov. 2 1926. 1,605,880

.1. H. WALSH PROCESS OF ACIDULATINQ'AND GARBONIZING FABRIC WEBS OriginalFiled April 7. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Nov. 2, 1926.

A UNITED STATES? PATENT OFFICE.

.rosnrn mwansn, or mutant, Nhw Yonx, nssrenon 'ro .ronnsamlmvrmn, moon-Ponarnn, or NEW xonx, N. Y\.,

A GORPOBATION OF NEW YORK.

rnocnss or AOIDULA'IING AND cnnnomzme. FABRIC wEBs.

"original application mada -n7, 1922,

plication Serial No. 550,537 filed April 7 1922, which has matured intoPatent No. 1,530,064 dated March .17, 1925.

In the acidulating, drying andcarbonizing of fabric asheretoforepracticed, little attention has been paid to the matter ofeconomy in the use of heat, althou h in large p 'of a ouslng contaimng'drying and carbon cloth finishing establishments the cat wasted in suchprocesses may be avery considerable item of loss. Moreover, as commonlypracticed, great difficulty has been experienced in securing uniformityin the product, and in so controllingthe carbonization process astoavoid damage to the fabr1c,.by-

reasonuof the fact that the ener y of action of the acid (or otherreagents employed varies with variations both in the temperature andhumidity to which the material is subjected during carbonization. If, onthe other hand, but one of such factors is avariable, it is acomparatively simple matter to determine the concentration of the acidby giving to such factor a proper and 'determinable value. For example,if the material be first acidulated and then dried to a determinatedegree, and then immediately subjected to heat in a substantiallyair-tight enclosure, the concentration of the acid and its action uponthe fibres may be controlled exactly merely by regulating thetemperature and the time of exposure in such enclosure.

I have found that it is conducive to con-' servation of heat, to economyin space, to avoidance of repeatedhandlings of the material, and to thesuccessful avoidance of escaping acid fumes to perform the drying andcarbonizing processes in close proximity air on its.way to such cliambdr." In the practical realization of the invention, and for furthersaving of heat, the drying chambe r SeriaLHo. 550,531. Divided and thisapplication and March is, 1925. Serial No. 16,083.- 4

may be disposed between compartments in veils. 1

Principal objects of the present invention are accordingly to provide aprocess wherewhich a relatively high temperature preby fabric webs maybe treated with a reagent, dried in a uniform and economical manner, andthereafter heated for the reaction, or.- carbonized, under accuratelycontrollable conditions.

Fi re 1 is a vertical longitudinal section izing apparatus taken on aline such as 0-1) of Fig. 2; r q

. Figure 2 is a horizontal section on a line such as c-d of Fig. 1;

' Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section on the line 6 of Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is a plan view of an acidulating and preliminary dryingapparatus useful in I carglrying the present invention into effect; an aFigure 5 is a side elevation of the devices shown in Fig. 4:. r (4Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, the numerall indicates the usual tank orother suitable'receptacle in which dilute acid (or other re-. agent) maybe placed. This tank is pro vided with a pair of guide rolls 2 and afabric depressing roll 3, as well as a guide roll 4, such rolls servingto cause the web of fabric 5 to pass'dow'nwardly in the liquid containedin the tank and then upwardly therefrom. A drum p of relatively largediameter may also be provided, such drum consisting of spaced headshaving radial pins or. spurs 7 for enga ement with the marginal portionsof the fa ric, such heads being mounted upon a shaft 6*. A guide 'roller8 is arranged adjacent-to such drum for causing the web 5 to engage thepins or spurs and.-

after passing around the druin throughout a substantialportion of theperiphery thereof, the fabric engages aguide roll 9 spaced somewhat fromthe roll 8.'

Between the rolls 8 and 9 a conduit 10 is arranged through which acurrent of air, caused to enter the interiorof the drum un-.

warmed by a heating device 11, maybe 'de'r suitable'slight pressure, asusual. The

apparatus thus-far described, (which. may

be like that of prior knowledge) serves to moisten the web; of fabricwith acid and then to remove the excess of liquid from the fabric by theexpo-sure of a large area of its surface upon the periphery of the drumto the evaporative action of the air, such action being assisted by thewarm air entering the interior of the drum and passing out through theinterstices of the fabric. The heat employed in this preliminary dryingis insulficient to dry out the moisture or to cause the evolution ofacid fumes from the material.

From the guide roll 9 the material passes in contact with rolls12 and 13and through a slot 14 in the end wall 15 of a housing, such housingcomprising the opposite end wall 16, side walls 17 and 18, and the topor roof 19. The walls and roof of this housin are preferably formed asindicated in Section in Fig. 1, consisting of studs or rafters 20 whichsupport an outer sheathing 21 of any desired material, and an innersheathing 22 of an acid resistant and preferably heat insulating sheetmaterial such, for example, as the asbestos and cement aggregate knownas asbestos wood. If de- .sired, and in order further to prevent therapid escape of heat through the walls of such housing, the spacesbetween the inner .and outer sheathings may be filled with a heatinsulatingsubstance such for example, as asbestos wool, corrugatedasbestos board, etc., as indicated diagrammatically at 22 in Fig. 1. r.1. v v

The space within the housing is divided by means of a Vertical partitioninto a dry ing chamber 23 and a carbonizing chamber 23 The partition 23is preferably of acid resistant material, and is provided with anopening 24 at its lower portion for the passage of the web of fabricfrom'the drying chamber in the carbonizing chamber. The

end wall 16 of the housing is furnished with a slot 25 for the egress ofthe fabric, suitable guide rolls such as 25' being arranged upon theouter surface of such wall,-

and serving to guide the treated fabric to a winding drum 25".

Spaced from the wall 17 of the housing is a partition 26 which serves todefine a plenum chamber 43 at one side of the drying chamber, suchplenum chamber if'desired being furnished with heating coils 27. At theopposite side of the drying chamber, a second partition 27 is arranged,being spaced from the wall 18 to provide a chamber for the reception ofa heatinterchange economizer device of suitable construction. As shown,the economizer comprises transverse end walls 28 .and 29 respectively,provided with series of openings in which are fitted the end portions ofopen-ended tubes 30 which may be molded of asbestos wood, or made oi orlined with; an acid resistant educt flue 33 is provided between thepartition 29 and the wall 15, leading into the lower end of a pipe 34having a damper 34*, this pipe 34 leading to any desired point for thedischarge of the acid fumes from the chamber. An inlet opening 35 isprovided: in the top member 19, such opening providing for the admissionof air into the space between the tubes 30, and being located adjacentto one end of the economizer structure. Air from such inlet openingpasses about the tubes 30, being directed in a tortuous course by meansof the baffle plates 31, and is thence discharged through a pipe 36which serves to conduct such air to a casing 37. The casing 37 isprovided with regulable heating coils 38 whereby the air 7 may befurther raised in temperature, and

Within the drying chamber two vertical 7 1y disposed series of guiderolls 44 and 45 are arranged, said guide rolls being so disposed as tocause the fabric 5 passing thereovcr to extend in a series of verticallyspaced horizontal runs. Between adjacent runs of the fabric,'series ofdischarge nozzle tubes 46 are provided, such nozzle tubes prefer ablybeing of taperin form, and of acid resistant material sue as asbestoswood. Each of these tubes is provided with a discharge slot 47 extendingtransversely of the width of the fabric, such slots, if desired, being.of gradually decreasing width from the larger end of the tube toward theopposite end to provide for laterally uniform delivery. The larger endsof the 'nozzle tubes, which are open, are fixed in suitable openings inthe partition 26, while the smaller ends of such tubes, which areclosed, are secured in the partition 27; The arrangement oftubes is suchas to provide for a substantially uniform discharge of air fromtheplenuin chamber 43 into the spaces between the runs of material andin a direcchains: such as-45 extending over sprocket wheels such as 44"and 45.arran ed within the plenum chamber 43 and fixe upon the ends ofthe shafts upon which the respec 'tive rollers are mounted. The drivingconnectiOns'45Fare ber' 43.

in the fume-free air of cham- A sprocket 45 may be secured to one ofsuch shafts and such sprocket may receive motion by means of a chain45from a shaft 45projecting through the outer wall of the housing. v I

'fWithin the carbonizing chamber 23*, vertical series of guide rollers48 and 49 are provided,'such guide rollers serving to support the fabricina series of horizontal runs extending'upwardly from the lower part ofthechamber to the plane of the opening 25.

' Between certain of such runs,- horizontal- 1y; arranged steam coils-50 are provided-to radiate heat direct-1y againstthe surface of thefabric to raise the fabric to the carbonizing temperature. A secondaryheating coil 51 may also be provided in the chamber 23 to ad]ust thegeneral temperature in this chamber, such coil being provided with acontrolling valve 52 upon the outside of the casing ifdesired. Two ormore of the rollers 48 may be'provided with sprocket wheels such as 48and 49 over one of which is trained a chain 52 which extends over asprocket '53 upon-the shaft of one of the rolls 45; a A chain alsoextends upwardly'from sprocket 49 and over sprocket 48 and from thelatter sprocket a chain extends to a sprocket upon a shaft carrying theguide roll 25?,and from which the take-up roller 25 may receive itsmotion.

The drying chamber between the partitions 26 and 27', it will be noted,is located between the plenum chamberand the econo- .mizer chamber sothat its outer walls are at all times protected against rapid variationsin temperature? The material, upon entering the housing,

passes over the guide rolls 44 and 45 in horizontal runs and at the sametime the opera tion of the fan causes blasts of the heated air from theplenum chamber through the slots in tubes 46 everywhereto impinge on thesurface of thefabric. Due to the arrangement of'the parts, both sides ofthe-fabric are subjected successively to the action of these heatedblasts of fresh air, by which the moisture is rapidly and uniformlyevaporated froin the'material and" the latter is brought, ,to asubstantially dry condition [prior to, its entrance into thefcarbonizingchamber, which it enters in abut, relatively dry statel In the latterchamber it moves upwardly, thus being subjeetedto a grad,- uallyincreasing temperature in substantial- 1y still and dry air whereby thecarbonizationis effected in a certain and eflicient man- ""nei', withoutserious loss of heat. The desired temperature is thus maintained by theexpenditure of vastly. less steam. than in prior practices. The heat ofsuch chamber may be, varied to a substantial degree by means of thecontrollable heating coil 51, so that the final temperature to which thema-;

terial is subjected may be regulated with I zle's 46 passes intothe'space 32 and from' thence through the economizer 30 to the discargepipe 34, while the fresh air entering the passage 35 passes in heattransferring relationship to the outgoing, vapor laden,

and heated air in the tubes, so that the incoming air is heated to asubstantial degree prior to its entrance into heating chamber 37. Thedevice thus serves in an economical manner to dry and carbonize thematerial, permitting the amount of heat expend ed to be reduced to aminimum and at the same time, by the eflicient application of heatto'the material and'the conservation ofthe heat in chamber 23,permitting the operaperature than is 'comon, so that the usual danger ofdamage by overheating is minition to take place at a lower radiatedtemmized. By the. employment of suitable.

dampers in the inlet andoutlet dilcts, the

temperature and moisture content of the air in'thedrying chamber may benicely determined, such control being also facilitated by the employmentof regulable heating coils in the heating chamber ing the speed of thefan.

Theapparatus is compact in form, and

and by verysince the main drying devices and the car-' bonizing chamberare entirely enclosed there is no discharge of injurious fumes into thespace surrounding the apparatus.

While the process bodiment o apparatus for carrying it into elfectfit isto be understood that the process 1s independent of any particularapparatus and may well'be practised without employmg theapparatus heredisclosed.

I claim:

1. That mode of finishing fabric which comprises as'steps, moisteningsuch fabric with a reagent, eubjecting thefabric to a has beenillustrated and I described b reference toone specific empreliminarydrylng in the open air, and

dryi'ngthe fabric to a predetermined ex-' tent in a heat-insulatedclosed housing by subjecting the fabric to impinging blasts of airhaving a predetermined temperature and moisture content.

' 2. That mode of finishing fabric which comprises as steps moisteningthe fabric bonizing the fabric in a still atmosphere'by the applicationof radiant heat.

3. That process of treating textile fabric which comprises subjectingsuch fabric to an acid bath, partially drying the fabric. and furtherdrying the fabric in a closed 'housing by the application thereto ofheated blasts of air directed against its opposite sides, and thereaftersubjecting the dried fabric to a carbonizing temperature.

4. That mode of finishing fabric which comprises as steps moistening thefabric with dilute acid, partially drying the fabric in the open air ata tem erature insutlicient to evolve acid fumes, su stantiallycompleting the drying by repeatedly subjectingthe fabric in a closedchamber to the action of blasts of heated air directed against thesurface of the fabric and thereafter subjecting the fabric to the actionof still air. at a carbonizing temperature.

5. That process of finishing textile ,fabric which comprises passingsuch fabric through an acid bath, partially drying such fabric in theopen air with the application of gentle heat, further drying such fabricin a closed heat insulated housing by the application thereto of heatedblasts of air, and

subjecting such fabric to the direct' action of radiant heat to raise itto a carbonizing temperature.

- 6. That continuous process of finishing fabric which comprises assteps moistening the fabric with a carbonizing reagent, partially dryingthe fabric in the open air by the application ofm entle heat, passingthe partially dried fabric through a closed chamber and substantiallycompleting the dryin of the fabric therein, and passing the fzihricthrough a second closed chamber in a series of vertically spacedhorizontal runs and applying radiant heat directly against the surfaceof the fabric while disposed in such horizontal runs.

7. That continuous process of finishing fabric which comprises drawingthe fabric through a dilute acid bath partially drying the fabric in theopen air, causing the fabric to pass through a closed chamber in aseries of spaced substantially horizontal runs, projecting blasts ofheated air against opposite sides of the fabric while disposed in suchhorizontal runs -whereby substantially to complete the drying of thefabric, and passing the fabric through another closed chamber in asecond series of horizontal runs, and subjecting the fabric to radiantheat of a carbonizing temperature While disposed in said second seriesof runs.

Signed by me at New York city, N. Y., this 13th day of March, 1925.

JOSEPH H. WALSH.

